Our Team
Steve Sobota
Co-CEO
- Programme & Community
Steve is married to Joanne and father to their teenage son Benjamin. They have a dog, a Border Collie x, Patrick, who keeps them active! They live on a bush clad section at the edge of the Waitakere Ranges. Steve enjoys a bit of DIY, likes running and has ambitions to play lawn bowls and get back into golf. He is passionate about wine and all things made local.
Steve has worked in the community and social services space for the past 25 years and in 2024 he celebrated 20 years at Big Buddy. As our longest-serving team member, Steve’s passion for community and social service has helped shape the heart and soul of our organisation. Read about Steve's reflections and learnings from two decades of working in youth mentoring at Big Buddy with us.
Christie Stuart
Co-CEO
- Partnerships & Development
Christie was born and raised in Auckland. She is married to Greg and lives on the North Shore with their two young children, Ellie & Cody, and their beautiful pound pup Riley. If not in Auckland, you will normally find them in magical Mangawhai enjoying the water.
Christie's career has spanned stadiums, sports, tourism, museums, sponsorship, events, and corporate community fundraising. As a Mum, she is thrilled to be a cog in the Big Buddy wheel, supporting families to build long-lasting connections.
Shane Brown
Programme Lead
Shane lives on the border of Papakura and Takanini, not far from where he spent his childhood growing up in Wattle Downs. He is married to Tayla and a father to his young son, Ronan.
Shane is a Big Buddy to Isaac and has spent time working with other youth and adults in the mentoring, justice and mental health sectors. Shane has seen the powerful impact Big Buddy has and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join the team. He firmly believes in putting people first and giving everyone the chance to succeed.
Shane enjoys training in Mixed Martial Arts, working out, cooking, exploring our beautiful country and spending time with family and friends
Mark Sanders
- Mentoring Manager for Auckland
Mark was born and raised in Lower Hutt, Wellington. He is married to Claire and has two daughters Holly and Emma, who are the 5th generation on Claire’s side to live in Laingholm in the Waitakere Ranges.
Mark loves fishing, hiking, plants, cooking, DIY, movies, music, and spending time with family. He is also passionate about participating in men’s self-development.
He is a proud ex-tradesman and NZ Customs Officer but has now made a change so he can help make positive change in the lives of others.
Mark firmly believes everybody deserves a fair chance in life, and this starts with our young ones. 'I want to be part of making that chance a reality'.
Dave Burcher
- Mentoring Manager for Wellington
Dave Burcher was born and raised in Wellington and lives in Upper Hutt with his wife Judith. They have 2 daughters & he is a proud grandfather to his 4 grandchildren. He came to Big Buddy from a 25-year teaching career. He is an avid fisherman & you will often find him fishing some the rugged beaches of the Wairarapa coast.
Asher French
- Programme and Events Coordinator
Asher lives on Auckland's North shore with his wife and young son. A big believer in the power of nature, he can often be found surfing, exploring local beaches, or enjoying family life outdoors.
With over 14 years' experience in outdoor education and youth development, Asher has worked across expedition leadership, adventurous journeys, and therapeutic surfing programmes. His background in adventure therapy has shaped a strong commitment to creating supportive, confidence-building experiences for young people.
This naturally led him to Big Buddy, where he enjoys helping coordinate meaningful programmes that strengthen connection and create positive outcomes for young people and their families.
Lee Templin
- Programme Support
Lee and her fiancé, Sam moved to the sunny Hawkes Bay to start a family. Her proudest achievement is being a mother to Connor. She loves the ocean and surfing NZ’s beautiful coastline with her whanau.
Big Buddy’s mission holds a place close to Lee's heart. She is passionate about charity work and facilitating opportunities for our youth.
Jenni Harrison
- Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Jenni’s background spans hospitality, education, arts and crafts, advertising, and PR. For the past seven years, she has focused on digital marketing.
She also has hands-on experience in the mentoring space, having been a mentor herself. Jenni lives on Auckland's North Shore with her husband Pete and their two beloved rescue dogs, Frida and Diego.
Lee-Ann Brown
- Accounts & Admin Support
Lee-Ann is thrilled to be part of the Big Buddy team. She was born in Rotorua where she lived for around 8 years before moving with her family to Auckland.
She is the proud mother of 3 adult children, Shane, Luke and Holly, and happy Nana to 2 grandsons, with another on the way!
Lee-Ann loves spending time with her family, going for scenic walks, and is currently completing a NZ Certificate in Te Reo Māori.
Russell Joyce
- Fundraiser
Russell lives in Cambridge with his wife Janine. He has two grown-up children, one living in Scotland and the other working in Wellington. He is a keen cyclist, regular yogi and he enjoys learning Mandarin. He runs online language classes, teaching English in exchange for lessons in Chinese. He also teaches English face-to-face, helping recent migrants and refugees improve their language skills. At Big Buddy he helps find the grants and donations we need to keep our mission going.
Kim Bramwell
- Finance Manager
Kim proudly joined the Big Buddy team approximately 15 years ago. Married to Carl, they have 2 adult children - a son & daughter, living locally and overseas.
Living in West Auckland, Kim enjoys her local community and the beauty of the Manukau Harbour & West Coast beaches. In her spare time she loves getting together with family & friends, boating, and spending time on creative projects.
